At least 40 politico-religious parties gathered here Thursday under the umbrella of Defa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) to issue a joint declaration that demanded of the coalition government to establish Islamic courts as well as unseat the governor and chief minister of Sind province for their failure to maintain peace in Karachi. Read out by DPC Chairman Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, the declaration was adopted during an all parties conference held here at the head office of Iamat-e-Islami known as Idara Noor-e-Haque.
DPC demanded of the government to move effectively against those responsible for targeted killings in the city. Prominently represented parties included PML-N, PML-F, Awami Muslim League, National People’s Party, Democratic Party, Muhajir Qaumi Movement– H, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Nazriati, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam –Sami-ul-Haq, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal, Ghurba Ahle-Hadith, Jamat-Ud-Dawa, Ahle Sunnat-wal-Jamat, Punjabi Pakhtun Ittehad and Ansaar-ul-Islam. Former Chief of ISI, General (R) Hamid Gul and his son Abdullah Gul and Father of Catholic Church, Salik Diggo were also present in the conference.
Haq said the DPC would contact all parties in this connection to hold a conference in Islamabad. He stressed the demand for freeing billion of rupees government’s plots and parks, which ruling coalition partners have grabbed.
Haq said the DPC would hold a peace march from Karachi to Islamabad on Jan 11, for which the council would invite all political and religious parties.
Appointment of officers in Karachi police and other government departments should end, he said, adding that “a long imposed Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad should be removed” to restore peace in the city. He said official patronage to crimes and violence should also end now.
He said the Supreme Court and Election Commission’s orders on the verification of voters’ lists and delimitations of constituencies in Karachi should be implemented. The DPC “strongly” denounces the coercive tactics which are being exercised to pressure the judiciary for its decision on delimitation.
The DCP declaration termed India “responsible” for Karachi unrest, saying the local agents are executing its designs. It said the government’s move to give an MNF status to India is against the ideology of Pakistan.
It demanded that the drone strikes in Pakistan tribal region should be stopped and Pakistan be brought out of US “slavery”. It said the government should detach Pakistan from the US and renounce its alliance to the superpower.
The declaration showed apprehension over the targeted killings of over 2300 people in the country’s financial city in a year. It said the traders’ community and general public were badly affected from extortions, kidnapping for ransom and terrorism in the city.
It accused the ruling PPP of supporting and providing shelter to the killers, extortionists and terrorists under the garb of political reconciliation policy.
It said “Karachi” was the unfortunate city where government departments were also hostage.
At the end the DPC demanded of the government to arrest those responsible for the killing of Allama Hassan Turabi, Aslam Mujahid, Dr Pervez Mehmood, Azeem Ahmed Tariq, Muhammad Salahuddin, Hakim Saeed, Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai, Maulana Yousuf Ludhyani and others.
Besides, it said the government should arrest culprits of Tahir Plaza blaze which burnt several lawyers, killers of over 52 people on May 12, 2007, besieging of Karachi and its roads with containers on May 12 and Baldia factory arson that killed over 250 people.
